


The Wrong Foot

by likehandlingroses



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Just Right-verse, M/M, meet-ugly?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 08:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13454061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likehandlingroses/pseuds/likehandlingroses
Summary: Gideon and Roderick's contentious first conversation leaves each of them convinced the other one is out to get them. The truth might be a bit more complicated.





	The Wrong Foot

“Who’s that sitting with Sara?” Gideon asked as he took his seat next to Alice.

She stared at Gideon in disbelief. 

“Roderick took economics with us last spring.”

Gideon shrugged. “There were a lot of people in that class.”

“That, and you didn't pay attention because you were reading the entire time," Alice joked.

"It was a gen ed course, and I still passed just fine," Gideon said in his defense. 

"Anyway, you should still remember Roderick. He'd always stay after class to ask questions, and Dr. Hitchcock hated it."

“Oh, right,” Gideon said, still eyeing Roderick. He supposed he did remember him, after all. Though he’d never seen him at the university LGBTQ center, or--indeed--at any of their group’s events throughout campus. Which was his prerogative, of course, though Roderick looked like just the sort of person who found little pleasure in things that didn’t involve some kind of protest. Even his hair looked about one gust of wind away from taking on a life of its own. 

Before he could consider Roderick any further, Sara, their club president, stood up. 

“Okay, everyone, it’s five, so let’s get started. The big thing we have to go over today is our event next month. Gideon’s got all our speakers booked and ready to go, but we have some logistics to work out today, so please keep an open mind about what you can do to help.”

Sara eyed the room with one of those looks that assured Gideon she’d make a fine teacher. She had a way of ensuring that things got done. 

“Also, I wanted to introduce our newest member,” she continued, gesturing to Roderick.  “A lot of you probably already know Roderick and how I’ve been begging him to find the time to join us because he’s got a lot of ideas and a lot of passion. And he finally listened, so welcome to Roderick! We were actually talking just now, and he had a really cool idea that I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on. Roderick?”

Roderick looked as though he’d never expected to be asked to speak, but he recovered quickly. He leaned forward in his seat and scanned the room before speaking, and when he did there was no trace of nerves. 

“I think we should hold the event at the local center, instead of on campus,” he said. “It’s more accessible to the rest of the community, and those are all speakers they normally couldn’t afford to get on their own. There’s too much protectiveness around academia, and now’s the time to get involved with trying to change that.”  

Gideon’s eyes narrowed.  _ Now’s the time to get involved _ ...as though the thought hadn’t occurred to them before he’d shown up. He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar thud in his chest that came before a confrontation.

“But if it’s on campus, that lets students who might not know much about the subject come by and learn something they might not otherwise,” Gideon replied, forcing himself to look at Roderick as he said it. “And then maybe we have more students coming here or supporting this community on campus. We need that.”

Gideon thought it was a good point, but Roderick only looked at him as though he’d spoken a language he didn’t understand.

“You know, all of that still applies to the community outside of here as well,” Roderick said, and though Gideon’s heart told him Roderick didn’t mean anything by the comment, something else in him snapped.  

  
“And that’s fine, but this is a college club, and we’re all students,” Gideon retorted without thinking, even as he watched Sara reach a hand out to stop him. “So we sometimes like to do things for the student community specifically. I hope that’s alright with you.”

“Maybe we should do a survey,” Alice said, preempting another comment from Roderick. “We’ve got a little time before we’ve absolutely got to pick a location. Maybe see who wants to come and whether they’d be willing to travel to either place?”

“Sounds great,” Roderick said, staring at Gideon with outright distaste. 

* * *

 

“You really should apologize to him,” Alice said as they watched Roderick enter the room. It had been a week since Gideon’s tense encounter with Roderick, and word travelled fast in their section of campus. Both were well liked, though Gideon could tell that--if sides had to be taken--there were a fair few people who seemed poised to turn on him at a moment’s notice. There weren’t outright glares, yet. Just looks that lasted a little too long for comfort. 

“For what?” Gideon whispered, though he couldn’t help but feel small under Alice’s stare. “I’m not the one who came in and tried to make everyone feel like they’re ignorant.”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Alice said. “He was just excited.”

“You think excitement fits into his political strategy?” Gideon retorted, knowing he sounded stupid but not being able to help himself. Alice shook her head.

“Just talk to him,” she said, giving Gideon a shove toward Roderick. Gideon grumbled for only a moment more; deep down he knew Alice was right. Whoever had started it, Gideon knew he hadn’t helped matters. And it wouldn’t be so terrible, having the event somewhere else.

When Roderick saw him approaching, he too began advancing, though Gideon didn’t think he was coming over to resolve anything. His brow was set and his fingers clutched the strap of his book bag as though only his grip held the bag together.

“You’ll be happy to know that administration said we can’t use club funds to host an off campus event,” he said, before Gideon could get in a word.

For a moment, Gideon could only stare at Roderick, feeling entirely off balance. He hadn’t had to make many apologies in his life, and none of them had started with quite so much antagonism.

“Well, we’ve got the flyers up at the center, anyway,” he finally managed. “So people from around can still come if they like.” 

“Yeah. That’ll fix everything,” Roderick said, somehow managing to sound even more caustic than usual. 

Suddenly, apologizing seemed quite a silly thing to do. After all, Gideon hadn’t done anything in the first place except state his opinion, which had apparently designated him as a disinterested elitist. And what right did Roderick have to treat him like he was stupid? He didn’t know the first thing about him. 

“I’m sorry, did you want me to go and get the rules changed?” Gideon retorted, his chest thudding again. 

“If it was something you wanted, no one would have to ask, so I won’t bother,” Roderick said, and somehow Gideon suspected Roderick’s heart wasn’t threatening to beat out of his chest. Or if it was, he had some way of hiding it. It made Gideon feel ridiculous, for he knew his own face was turning red. 

“Alright…” Gideon said, forcing himself to disengage. “I’m going to sit down now. Give you some time to get over yourself.” 

Alice frowned as Gideon sat down next to her. “It didn’t go well, did it?”

Gideon gave a glance over to Roderick, who was making a point of not looking at him. Maybe it was the light, but he seemed a bit pale. Perhaps his chest was thudding after all. 

“No.”

* * *

 

Now that he’d met Roderick, Gideon couldn’t stop seeing him. He was suddenly everywhere Gideon found himself, up to and including his favorite cubby in the library. 

“He’s doing it on purpose; I know it,” he told Alice one afternoon. 

“Or, you almost always do your work in the afternoon, and he goes in the morning, and you happened to see each other because you went off schedule,” she said, giving a playful shrug. “I guess we can’t really know, can we?” 

Whatever the reason, Gideon wished it would stop. Or that Roderick would at least say something when he saw him. He’d always pretend he hadn’t seen him, and Gideon didn’t dare try and start a conversation again. Not after what had happened last time. 

He nearly did, once, when he’d spotted Roderick manning the blood drive table. It seemed so unlike him, to advocate for a system that remained entrenched in outdated stigmas about gay men. He didn’t know exactly what he’d ask or how, but something about the sight nagged at Gideon to try and understand how this fit with who he knew Roderick to be.

But he only murmured to Alice: 

“You’d think he protest it on principle.”

“I guess he figures--stupid rules or not--people still need blood,” she replied. “It’s not one or the other, is it?”

She was right. 

Gideon hated it. 

And now, Roderick had finally invaded the bimonthly Friday night parties held in Sara’s apartment. As usual, he ignored Gideon’s existence, but Gideon couldn’t stop wondering where he was or if he was listening in, waiting for him to say something stupid. He kept himself to one drink for that very reason, hating Roderick more and more with each lackluster sip. 

Then, suddenly, Roderick slipped out the door, well before midnight and all by himself. Gideon frowned and went over to the window. Roderick was heading down towards the apartments known for housing some unpleasant fraternity boys. Everyone knew to avoid walking there alone--or at all. Except, apparently, Roderick. 

“Why’s he going that way?” Gideon asked Alice, who, unlike him, had been back to the kitchen bar several times. 

“He lives in the apartments over there, I think,” she replied, making a vague motion at the window.

She didn’t seem concerned, and neither did anyone else. Gideon wasn’t sure anyone had even noticed Roderick had left. Had he say goodbye to anyone? 

The sickening realization of what he was going to have to do was superseded by a voice in the back of his head--sounding remarkably like his mother--telling him if he didn’t go after Roderick, he’d feel much, much worse.

He downed his drink and made for the door. 

“I’m going to walk him back.”

Alice grabbed his arm.

“I’ll go too. You’ll just make things worse.”

“Why?” Gideon asked, knowing the answer. 

“Well, there’s the fact that two boys leaving a gay party alone together is going to set them off even more. And then also, probably more importantly...the two of you get on like cats and dogs.” 

Gideon only nodded in agreement, and together they chased off after Roderick, who turned as soon as he heard the sound of quick feet coming after him. He looked panicked, for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. 

“Can I help you?”

“I-- _ we _ \--” Gideon said, gesturing to Alice. “--wanted to walk you back. It sometimes gets bad out here on Fridays. Lots of fraternity parties. They can get menacing if they see someone coming from over here.”

“Seriously?” Roderick asked, looking back towards the apartments he’d been heading in the direction of. 

“Unfortunately, yes,” Gideon said. “Usually not anything violent, but it’s better to be safe, you know?”

Roderick stared at Gideon, still looking as though he didn’t understand Gideon in the slightest. Only this time, Roderick appeared taken aback rather than frustrated. 

“Sure,” he finally said. “Thanks.”

Gideon at first thought that he’d finally managed to overcome the tension between them, but after his quiet “thanks,” Roderick fell silent again.

It was his turn, Gideon decided. He’d chased after him in the dark, so if Roderick wanted more from him, he’d have to be the one to start. 

“So, Roderick?” Alice asked, interrupting the silence. “Would you say you’re more of a cat person or a dog person?”

Gideon glared at her. 

“Cat, probably,” Roderick replied. “Why?”

“Oh, no reason. Gideon was just telling me he likes dogs better,” Alice said, a grin crossing her face. “But I’m with you. Cats. Or maybe bats...it’s sort of a restrictive question, isn’t it?” 

She trailed off into her own thoughts again. The fraternity parties didn’t give them any trouble, which was both a relief and an embarrassment. Suppose Roderick thought Gideon had other motives in coming after him and had made up a story to hide those motives?

But he pushed the worry down. Roderick wouldn’t be thinking any such thing. 

Anyway, what else would I be after? Gideon thought to himself.

Then Alice made things worse by suddenly darting off in the direction of a group of friends who were waving her over. 

“I’ll be right back!” she called to Gideon as she raced away. 

“They’ll be going to the clubs,” Gideon remarked. 

“You can go ahead, if you want,” Roderick said. “I’m not much farther.”

“No, it’s alright,” Gideon said, in spite of himself. “She won’t leave without me. I’ll just catch up in a minute.”

Roderick only looked at the ground and kept walking. Gideon guessed he was trying to find the words for something. Sure enough, he finally said: 

“I’m sorry I was a dick to you. Especially over a stupid idea for an event I didn’t even plan. And it’s not like it was even your fault it didn’t work out. You just didn’t like the idea, and that’s fine; you’re allowed to not like it. It was stupid to get upset over, and I’m sorry.”

Now Gideon wished he hadn’t left things up to Roderick. He didn’t like him apologizing at all. 

“It was a good idea,” he said. “And I should have said that. It was your first time there, and I ruined it. I’m not surprised you didn’t like me much, after that.” 

“Well, you’re also the one who ran after me to make sure I didn’t get hurt,” Roderick said, in that same matter of fact tone that--until that moment--had made Gideon’s blood boil. 

“Well,” he stammered. “That’s how it is, isn’t it? We have to look out for each other.”

For maybe the first time, Roderick smiled at Gideon, though he ducked his head back at the ground quickly. 

“I’ve heard from about a dozen people about how I must have really fucked up to have a problem with Gideon Gold, because you’re apparently the nicest person on campus,” he said “And that pissed me off even more, you know? Like...doesn’t everyone else get it?  But I’m thinking I’m the one who didn’t get it.” 

Gideon wished he’d stop talking. He felt his face getting hot. 

“We just got off on the wrong foot, is all. It happens.”

Roderick stared at him for a moment before smiling again. 

“Yeah, it does.” 


End file.
